vanya - Dana Ellyn | Contemporary Narrative Painter

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uncle vanya (revisited)

A reimagined portrait of Uncle Vanya painted over a street banner. A man holds a bottle and glass in a forest as trees and a clock overtake him.

Uncle Vanya (revisited)

30" x 60"

acrylic on vinyl street banner

$600

purchase/inquire

August 2025

Painted directly onto a recycled street banner from Washington DC’s Shakespeare Theatre Company production of Uncle Vanya. I saw the production in April 2025, and this painting reflects the personal impact it had on me—my interpretation of the characters’ despair, inertia, and entrapment. Vanya is being overtaken by the encroaching trees as he grasps a bottle and a shot of vodka and the grandfather clock slowly ticks away and time drags on. My intent was to be respectful to the original artwork and also transform it add a some existential tension.

Original STC Banner

This is the original street banner from Washington DC’s Shakespeare Theatre Company production of Uncle Vanya, which hung from city light posts in early 2025 for the production which ran from March 30 - April 20. I retrieved it after the show’s run and used it as the literal and conceptual foundation for my painting Uncle Vanya (Revisited).